1
as in curious
interested in what is not one's own business
as we moved into our new home, we could sense that there were prying eyes watching us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
prying neighbors who refuse to mind their own business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in questioning
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in pulling
to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever
it took some effort to pry up the trap door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in yanking
to draw out by force or with effort
a vain attempt to pry the cork out of a wine bottle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
don't go prying into other people's business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of prying
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying -- and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—
Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin,
oregonlive,
4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—
Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano,
WIRED,
28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—
Los Angeles Times,
12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—
Jane Li,
Quartz,
6 Aug. 2019
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
30 June 2026
It’s often viewed as a dumping ground for human refuse — out of sight, out of mind — and it is structured to prevent prying eyes.
—
Gerard S. Williams,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Following Guthrie's prying, Lopez eventually caved in with a concrete answer.
—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
With that said, the game has managed to rack up an impressive five million sales in under a month, developing a dedicated fanbase that's been probing and prying at the game's engine, with delightful and sometimes unexpected results.
—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Palm Springs Has Still Got It This desert enclave has long been many things at once—a spa town, a sanctuary away from Hollywood's prying eyes, a design capital, a shoo-in for winter sun.
—
Jason Sheeler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
But in the quietest corner of the 10-acre sanctuary, away from the public’s prying eyes, a cohort of most unusual occupants sleep.
—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Videos of the shooting have spread online and appear to show Good, 37, being told to get out of her car, with one agent walking and prying at the door handle.
—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
That was what led the princess to send her staff away and sneak the BBC crew in for the interview, isolating herself in the face of Bashir’s prying questions.
—
Theresa Braine,
Mercury News,
26 Nov. 2025
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 June 2026
The two have already had a few chats away from prying eyes and shared a few kisses.
—
Allison Degrushe,
StyleCaster,
10 June 2026
Even remakes and adaptations of centuries-old novels are kept away from prying eyes, forgetting that everybody can look up the ending of every story ever told on Wikipedia.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
9 June 2026
Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US Navy is capable of prying open the Strait of Hormuz but that an extended military operation to free up the vital oil and gas waterway would be costly and require allies.
—
Jen Judson,
Bloomberg,
8 June 2026
Three days after announcing the hire of Chris MacFarland as their new hockey boss after somehow prying him out of Colorado, the club announced the hiring of Rob Blake as executive vice president of hockey operations on Friday.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Without prying into your personal life, is the album a story of going from being single to not being single?
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2026
Its Duplicate Finder clears clutter, advanced renaming options make your files easy to track, and military-grade encryption protects everything from prying eyes.
—
Stackcommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
That doesn’t mean robbing Billy of his shot at prying open Homelander’s skull, but with only a symbolic solution to Trump’s authoritarian rise — love conquers all!
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Adjective
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying -- and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—
Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin,
oregonlive,
4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—
Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano,
WIRED,
28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—
Los Angeles Times,
12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—
Jane Li,
Quartz,
6 Aug. 2019
Noun
The bathroom is encased with polycarbonate walls to let in light but keep out prying eyes.
—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
30 June 2026
It’s often viewed as a dumping ground for human refuse — out of sight, out of mind — and it is structured to prevent prying eyes.
—
Gerard S. Williams,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Following Guthrie's prying, Lopez eventually caved in with a concrete answer.
—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
With that said, the game has managed to rack up an impressive five million sales in under a month, developing a dedicated fanbase that's been probing and prying at the game's engine, with delightful and sometimes unexpected results.
—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Palm Springs Has Still Got It This desert enclave has long been many things at once—a spa town, a sanctuary away from Hollywood's prying eyes, a design capital, a shoo-in for winter sun.
—
Jason Sheeler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
But in the quietest corner of the 10-acre sanctuary, away from the public’s prying eyes, a cohort of most unusual occupants sleep.
—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Videos of the shooting have spread online and appear to show Good, 37, being told to get out of her car, with one agent walking and prying at the door handle.
—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
That was what led the princess to send her staff away and sneak the BBC crew in for the interview, isolating herself in the face of Bashir’s prying questions.
—
Theresa Braine,
Mercury News,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
These evergreen or deciduous shrubs protect your garden oasis from prying eyes and create a sense of solitude.
—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 June 2026
The two have already had a few chats away from prying eyes and shared a few kisses.
—
Allison Degrushe,
StyleCaster,
10 June 2026
Even remakes and adaptations of centuries-old novels are kept away from prying eyes, forgetting that everybody can look up the ending of every story ever told on Wikipedia.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
9 June 2026
Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US Navy is capable of prying open the Strait of Hormuz but that an extended military operation to free up the vital oil and gas waterway would be costly and require allies.
—
Jen Judson,
Bloomberg,
8 June 2026
Three days after announcing the hire of Chris MacFarland as their new hockey boss after somehow prying him out of Colorado, the club announced the hiring of Rob Blake as executive vice president of hockey operations on Friday.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Without prying into your personal life, is the album a story of going from being single to not being single?
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2026
Its Duplicate Finder clears clutter, advanced renaming options make your files easy to track, and military-grade encryption protects everything from prying eyes.
—
Stackcommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
That doesn’t mean robbing Billy of his shot at prying open Homelander’s skull, but with only a symbolic solution to Trump’s authoritarian rise — love conquers all!
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prying
Adjective
-
Over the course of the space’s renovation, Richards said the construction attracted several curious lookie-loos, many of whom knew of Corvino and were eager to see what would replace it.
-
Baffled rather than outraged, curious Kaho tries to uncover the meaning of his words.
Adjective
-
The tribe wants to build a travel center on the land along a busy highway on Long Island.
-
Because Saturday is typically the busiest day for car sales, most dealerships remain open then and close on Sundays instead.
Noun
-
Border officers have broad discretion, and retirees who spend lengthy periods in the country can face additional questioning.
-
Justices posed various hypothetical questions throughout and, at times, got into tense lines of questioning while trying to understand the attorneys’ arguments and what previous cases reflect about this one.
Verb
-
Workers were dispatched throughout La Guaira and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent the last few days pulling survivors and bodies from the wreckage despite a lack of heavy equipment and limited guidance from authorities.
-
Rescuers have fanned out across La Guaira, where the worst destruction occurred, and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent days pulling survivors and victims from the rubble.
Verb
-
Now, with the federal and state government yanking back plenty of that funding and directly barring the city from enacting some of its more aggressive climate plans, Higgins is left with a narrow road to tread toward progress.
-
The virtual oar-yanking celebration in a baseball atmosphere was one of those weird juxtapositions that seem to get fostered whenever a World Cup fanbase descends upon a host city.
Verb
-
The pivotal match itself — the semifinal encounter against hosts Uruguay — is also more convincingly depicted and dramatic, particularly for how one of the goals is assisted by an interfering policeman (incredibly, this did actually happen).
-
Other fans have targeted Chung Mong-gyu, the outgoing director of the Korean Football Association, who’s been accused of improperly interfering in the management of the national team.
Adjective
-
Most episodes follow the inquisitive young Phineas teaming up with his quiet stepbrother, Ferb, in their constant quest to avoid boredom on summer vacation.
-
The tools—the ability to automate data production, analyze large datasets, and gain insights faster and faster, married to the number and complexity of challenges, makes now a very rich time to be inquisitive.
Adjective
-
Endless house rules meant to address all of Zuri’s life-threatening allergies feel intrusive and strip away Layla’s autonomy.
-
This insatiable appetite frequently leads to leaks of sensitive personal records, malicious code injection and intrusive user profiling.
Cite this Entry
“Prying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prying. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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